Author's Note: Hello, everyone! So, I know I promise that I will do my best to update regularly but I've been really sick these past few days and I'm starting to become busy since school is coming around in the corner. When school starts, I will definitely disappoint you for being so busy all the time. So from now on, I will update during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That way, I will give more effort into my writing without rushing it too much. Lately, I've been lacking ideas and I don't really feel too happy about my chapters so I decided that if I make a little schedule for updates, I'll find time to write and think more. I hope you guys understand. Thank you very much! (I still do not own Game of Thrones)

Long Live the Boy-King

Chapter Fourteen: New Perspective

Cersei's Point of View

Lady Corabella fascinated me the moment I laid eyes upon her during the feast. The way she moved with grace and elegance reminded me of myself on my younger years. But among all things, it was her beauty that captured my attention. Judging by the silence of the guests during her presentation, I am certain that they, too, were intrigued by her presence here in King's Landing. With just one gaze on those blue eyes of hers, one would surely be hypnotized. I have underestimated her. She's not some girl with a pretty face and fierce attitude, no. She is mystifying and is the perfect Queen, in my opinion.

But it's too late now. That Tyrell slut already has my son. If only she were out of the picture, Corabella and Tommen would be the perfect match. I can see it in my son's eyes, the way he looks at the young Lady. Margaery is nothing compared to her. I can't believe I'm tolerating my son's feelings for another girl. But then again, I've never liked Margaery to be wedded to him. The gods have been on my favor when Margaery's grandmother asked for her presence back at Highgarden, postponing the royal wedding. I instantly wanted to make room for Corabella. If only I could get rid of Margaery…

Alas, the Ravens from Westeros flew and landed on my son's feet, asking permission for the courting of Lady Corabella. News does spread fast in the country. Every whisper has the young Lady's name. Every parchment bore her beauty. Every man that lived in Westeros had only one goal, to make her as their wife. Unfortunately, she is not interested as what her mother told me. From what I've heard, she would rather cut a man's throat than be wedded to one. She has already defeated ten suitors back in her city, leaving each one of them wounded, bruised, scarred, and, in some instances, mutilated. Oh, how it brought a smile on my face when I first heard those words. She is a strong woman, not easily wooed by a stupid boy.

"Your Grace, shall I accompany you back to your chambers?" my young handmaiden said with terrified eyes. I like seeing them like this, scared of my power, scared of me.

"No, leave me now." She instantly curtsied and took quick strides away from my presence. I am not going to my chambers right now. I shall make it to the training grounds and hope that I will see Corabella. I must get her trust immediately because if my son would be unfortunate enough to not be with her, I shall make sure that she goes to the right Lord. She must end up with someone that I have close bonds with so I could keep her for myself. A woman who thinks like she does would be easy to educate. It would not be long before she has the whole country all on the palm of her hand.

And I shall be her teacher.

Corabella's Point of View

I can't believe my parents would allow strangers to court me in this city. I barely know how Westeros breathes and lives. King's Landing might be the most powerful city here in Westeros but the rest of the country is still foreign to me. Who knows what kind of bunch would show up in the Great Hall? No one could be trusted here.

I made my way to the grounds where the knights and soldiers train with each other. Loud clanking of metal invaded my ears as I take each step. Armor to armor, sword to sword, skin to skin, it was a disastrous place full of dangers. And I absolutely love it. It reminded me of the training grounds back in Bedoco where me and Glendon used to train for hours. The familiar scent of blood and sweat refreshed my mind, blocking out the fact that I am the only girl present here momentarily.

The moment I walked into the grounds, the clamor died down as their heads all turn to me. I felt my cheeks flush as everyone stopped whatever they were doing and look at me with wide eyes and slightly agape mouths.

"Good afternoon, my Lady." One of them said while bowing his head. I smiled at him, pleased by his politeness. Before I knew it, all of them started bowing and greeting me. I smiled and thanked them as I searched for Lorcan. There was no sign of him, no brown hair and green eyes. No tall and slender man. No dimpled cheeks. Instead, I saw my two brothers laughing at me as I neared them. They were both facing a tall knight who bowed in my presence as well.

"Good afternoon, m' Lady. What can we do for you?" he asked politely. I had to tip my head back to look at his towering height. He looks intimidating with his large armor on but his face looked absurdly young. He was like a gigantic man with a baby's face.

"Thank you, Ser." I turned back and saw all the men continuing to stare at me, now beaming wildly. "Please, continue training," I said to them, mustering a louder voice so that everyone could hear me. With a blink of an eye, everyone proceeded to resume their combat. The ruckus began once again. I faced the tall man once again and asked him, "Have you seen Lord Rosby around? The young one?"

"No, m' Lady." I nodded at him and resumed walking towards the back. If I can't start training with my blade yet, I might as well be productive with my time.

I started to move towards the shooting range where the archers are situated. Most of them were younger than I expected. The youngest must have been only my age. "M' Lady," I heard someone said behind me. There stood a lanky man with a mustache on his face, wearing a light armor and helmet. "What can we do for you?" he asked me. He must be the person-in-charge here.

I curtsied ever so slightly at him before answering. "I would like to shoot some arrows, Ser. Will you guide me?" He nodded his head and raised an arm and proceeded to walk forwards to the racks. I picked up one fair bow and stretched it string.

"Oh, you wouldn't be using that, m' Lady," the lanky man said. I raised an eyebrow at him questioningly before he snatched the bow from my hands. He skimmed through the other ones for a moment before picking up a larger bow with much better looking curve and grip. He handed it to me for inspection. "This is not our best but it would be much more suitable if you use it." I stretched its string and sure enough, it felt lighter despite its size and the string was easier to hold onto for aiming.

He handed me an arrow for shooting but I declined for a moment. "I would like to observe the others first, if it is possible," I said. He nodded his head and gestured for me to sit down on the benches near the other archers.

There were five targets, one for each man in training. All of them seemed inexperienced judging by the way they positioned their bodies. The first and third men slumped their shoulders down. The second and fourth ones had tense shoulders but shaky knees. The fifth one was fine but his hands also shakes slightly under his gloves.

I watched them draw and aim. The first arrow was three circles away from the bull's eye. The second and third arrows missed completely. The fourth one was close to the bull's eye, if only he timed the wind right. The fifth one impressively hit the center of the target. I chuckled under my breath as I watch the four of them sit down with droopy faces. The fifth man stood tall and proud as if he accomplished the greatest achievement in his life.

The thin knight looked at me with a smirk and said, "I hope you could do better, m' Lady." It somehow sounded like a taunt to me. I find it insulting because I know I am better than them. But I didn't let my patience get to me. Instead, I picked my bow and arrow up and smirked back at him, letting my cocky side show.

"Oh, I do. Watch and learn, ser." I rose from my seat and proceeded in front of the targets. Everyone's eyes were on me as they sat at the edge of their seats. The thin man followed me and introduced me to his students.

"Everyone, this is Lady Corabella Doreen and she is here today to accompany us in our training." The men applauded and I gave them a polite curtsy, secretly laughing at how stupid their skills were. "Klaus, Hector, clear the targets," he ordered two of his men.

"No," I countered, making the two knights-in-training look at me with confused eyes. "Leave them be." They looked at each other before going back to their seats. They started to whisper as I moved to my first target. I held the weapon firmly in my hand as I released the arrow flawlessly into the bull's eye. Then, I moved on to the next three targets without missing the center of the target. When I proceeded to the fifth target, the one with an arrow already on the bull's eye, their whispers started to get louder.

I aimed briefly on the nock of the arrow but snapped when I heard someone laugh behind my back. Without moving my aim, I eyed the fifth man and watched him laugh at me. "It's already hit, girlie," he said mockingly making his fellow trainees laugh with him. Instead of cursing at him loudly, I only smirked and released the arrow in my hand without turning my eyes away from them. I smirked menacingly at them as their faces change. Their eyes widened in surprise and their jaws dropped to the ground.

I turned to my target with pride. My arrow impaled his, making it snap in the middle as my own arrow made it to the bull's eye. I looked at them again and took careful steps towards the shocked men. But I went straight to the fifth man and stood in front of him. "Well, I guess this girlie's better than you." I turned to the others before continuing. "All of you." I returned to the racks and returned the bow before thanking the lanky officer. "Thank you for your time, Ser."

I decided to leave the archers, seeing how boring their training was. Waiting for me on the exit was the green-eyed boy I was waiting for. Lorcan approached me with a smile on his face while clapping his hands. "Well done, well done. I didn't know you were an excellent archer as well," he said.

I gave him a teasing bow and smiled back at him. "There are things you still don't know about me, boy." We both laughed as he guided me to an empty space in the grounds. "I was waiting for you before I made it to the archers. I hurried lunch," I said to him.

He quickly unsheathed his sword and examined the blade. "I apologize for that. Lord's claw needed polishing," he said without looking at me. I unsheathed my own blade as well and grasped it firmly in my hand. It has only been days since my last training but my sword felt a little heavy on my hand.

"That's what you call it, Lord's claw?" I asked him. It seems fitting for a sword's name. He nodded at me before I asked him another question. "Can I examine Lord's claw?"

He looked at me and said, "Only if you give me yours." I quickly handed my blade to him as we exchanged weapons. I inspected the blade of the sword quickly. It was a light steel that surely has a sharp edge. But it doesn't have swirls in it, meaning that it is neither Bedocian nor Valyrian. The hilt and pommel was shaped into a creature's claw with a red tattoo on the palm. "What do you call your own blade?" he asked, making me look from the sword to him. His eyes didn't meet mine as he was still carefully examining my blade.

"Grido del Signore," I said making him raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Cry of the Lord," I corrected. My weapons' names are all in Bedocian language. Sometimes I forget that they cannot understand me. Lorcan looked at me with wide eyes as he hesitantly gave it back to me. I handed him his own blade before talking. "I was on my fifth suitor when I got this blade. He cried before I scarred two of his legs," I told him. I forgot what his name was but I did remember the young Lord crying for mercy when I slashed this on his skin. It was my best duel, yet.

He cleared his throat and held onto his sword before I turned to him. "I don't think it's time for stories, my Lady." He put his left foot back and raised his sword higher as he pointed it towards me. "Let's play."

I smirked at him before getting ready myself. I took a deep breath before raising my blade. He started to advance on me first, swinging his blade towards my shoulder. I dodged him immediately and hit his back with the flat side of my blade, making him stumble to his feet. He turned around in an instant and let our blades collide, producing the cracking sound of metal to metal. I remained poised and focused on my footwork and deflecting his blows. I kicked him on the leg and snatched his sword away from him while he was distracted by the pain. He was kneeling on the mud dumbfounded as I pointed both our swords on his face. "That was too easy, boy," I teased him before helping him up to his feet. He thanked me as he grabbed his sword again.

We continued fighting, distracting each other, but his tactics weren't working on me. I always disarm him and kick him wherever I could, sending him down to the mud. Then I will give him a hand again and continue the cycle of us playing, me disarming and kicking him, and him falling to the ground, muddying up his armor. "You're better than I expected," he said breathlessly as he stood up for the seventh time. I chuckled at him as I hand him his sword. He seems exhausted but I was having too much fun. He didn't mind the pain as well and just continued.

He made the first move again and swung his sword, aiming for my leg. I quickly stopped his sword with my own and twisted it. But he jerked the blades upward, disarming me. My eyes widened at his action but I didn't let myself get too distracted. He aimed at my shoulder again but I dodged it and kicked him on the back. Unfortunately, I slipped on the muddy ground. But before I fell down, he caught me with one arm and a sword pointed at my face. Our faces were too close that I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. "I guess you're dead now," he said before smirking, letting his dimples show.

Taking advantage of his distraction, I quickly kicked him on the shin, breaking me free from his grasp. "Not yet," I told him. I grabbed him by the arm and twisted it back, loosening his grip on his sword. I snatched his weapon away from him before kicking the back of his legs, making him kneel down once again. He turned to face me but his own blade was pointed on his face. I smirked at the sight of him, wide eyes and pale face. I threw his blade down the ground and freed him from my grip. I turned to pick my sword up and wipe it with a piece of cloth I had on the side of my armor.

"You are tremendously good. I can't believe you're even Corabella!" Lorcan exclaimed as he slowly stood up and towered over me once again. I laughed at him and playfully punched his armored chest. He opened his mouth to speak once again but another voice invaded my ears.

"Lady Corabella, can I have a moment?" We both turned and saw the Queen-regent standing a few meters away from where we were training.

I looked back at Lorcan who nodded at me before I put back my sword on its sheathe and fixing my braided hair. I walked briskly in front of the Cersei and gave her a curtsy. "Your Grace, what can I do for you?" I asked before meeting her eyes. She smiled awkwardly at me and eyed me from head to toe. "My apologies, your Grace. I was just training and had to be in armor."

Her smile widened at me, making me cringe slightly. "You don't have to apologize," she said and gestured for me to follow her. "Come walk with me before you get cleaned." I looked back at Lorcan who smiled at me in approval before nodding my head at Cersei. She placed a hand on my back to lead me out of the training grounds. "I'm sure you've heard that you will be presented to the Lords of Westeros tomorrow," she said softly. Just when I thought I could be distracted from all this betrothed issue, Cersei suddenly shows up and talks about it with me. "Why aren't you getting ready?"

I furrowed my brows and crinkled my nose at the idea of me prepping myself up for the young Lords. "I'm sorry, your Grace, but I do not plan on meeting the Lords. I am not interested in marrying one of them," I said honestly. She raised an eyebrow at me, clearly confused of my response. I had to tell her the truth. I know her son allowed all of them to visit by the morning and surely made spontaneous arrangements but I have to decline their offers.

"Why are you not interested, child? Aren't you interested on young men's handsome faces?" she asked and chuckled afterwards. I can't help but to join in. Something about me tells she was being sarcastic. I can't believe I'm walking with the Queen-regent while laughing with her. If I told anyone, they wouldn't believe me.

"The matter is just unappealing to me, your Grace. I would rather swing a sword than participate in marriage," I elaborated. "Besides, the whole arrangement would cost the Crown gold. It would be better if they were to be spent in other important matters, your Grace. Don't you think?" I said while turning to her. We were walking to nowhere in particular but I kept on following her. I trust that she wouldn't leave me in this unfamiliar parts of the castle.

"You're very much like me when I was younger. I was not very interested in marriage, myself," she said in a tone that I am not familiar with. The Queen-regent always sounded maniacal and seductive to me. But this time, she sounded different. It was a positive kind of tone but I couldn't be so sure. "I was not interested in men. I was interested, however, in power and pride."

"Power and pride? Why is that?" I asked confused. I don't know where this conversation is even going but I've already jumped right in to it and there's no going back Of all the people in Westeros, I can't believe I'm discussing these issues with Cersei.

She smiled at me again before answering. "I wanted my father to be proud of me. I mean, I am the only girl in us siblings and people don't expect much from me. My twin brother was an excellent swordsman. My other sibling, even if he is a dwarf, was extremely intelligent and bright. And me… I was just known to be beautiful," she said as she stared out into the horizon. The sun is nearing it's descent for the day, turning the sky into a mute shade of orange. "Father had only one chance to make me feel special and that is to marry me to someone. I was promised to a prince when I was little but who knew that I would have married a King. And you know what? I loved it. I loved the power that I had to rule. If I am not comfortable and doing things that I do not like, I can quickly decline and no one asks a question.

That sounded bizarre to me. To have that kind of power must be amazing. You could do whatever you like. If I were to have that power, I will not waste my time marrying these sad Lords. Instead, I will join battles and bring glory to my city. But I don't have that sort of power. I am just a Lady.

"You can keep on playing with swords and daggers, Corabella. But you wouldn't completely enjoy your fights if all the people here are urging you to marry. I want you to show up in the Great Hall tomorrow, meet these Lords, and do whatever you want with them. But you have to pick one worthy of you. If you did, then your parents would be delighted and you would have all the freedom you want. You're a smart Lady and very strong, as well. You are very beautiful, too. If you pick the right husband, someone who will adore you no matter what, you can get away with it and use your power to please yourself. You have to be married, that's true, but you will have the power that I'm sure will work on your favor."

Somehow, I felt like Cersei was right. I shall be expecting tons of Lords to come tomorrow. They will be presenting themselves in front of me and all I could do is sit and listen. Afterwards, I can order them to do what I want. If they really are interested in me, they will do whatever I say. I don't have to marry them all. I just have to make sure that they adore me too much to get away with my plans. I know I will win, no matter what. I would enjoy our fight and they will only cry back to where they belong. Somehow, this idea pleases me.

"Tell me if you made up your mind so I can send my finest tailors to your chambers for the perfect gown. You have to look stunning tomorrow, not that you aren't. But you have to woo them the best you could," Cersei added. She was walking me back to my chambers, much to my surprise. I didn't pay much attention to our walk but only listened to her.

I opened my chamber door and stepped in inside. I turned to her and said, "I made up my mind. I will show up tomorrow. If what you say is true, then I shall do my best to let my hand be with the right Lord. I suppose you can help me, your Grace."

She smiled a genuine smile at me which made her look beautiful and not awkward. I know I shouldn't trust her completely but her guidance might just be my salvation. I can't wait for all these betrothed thing to end. "You have my word, my Lady. I shall leave you now," she said without waiting for a response. She quickly turned around and left me in my chambers. I quickly closed the door and slipped out of my armor.

With a smirk on my face, I imagined what tomorrow would be like. There are only two things that I want to happen, really. To fight the Lords OR make them fight each other for me. That would be an entertaining event.

Author's Note: So that was the fourteenth chapter. I really think we're seeing another side of Corabella in this chapter. I want her to be as complex as possible so don't be mad if you think she's kind of weird.

Qs:

- How do you feel about Cersei's plans about Corabella?

- How do you feel about the new side of Corabella?

What would you want to happen next?